The sun., 1887-02-20


ne Murder sf Je.aie Price s.a The Mas
who was lIauxed fsr Ht.
I WINS asked the other day how many cases
: lhad known, in my long experience rs de-
q teotive, Of innocent people being convicted
and punished for the crimes Of othersP My
. answer was, !" Only one" and the case Is well
, worth relating and reading.
began my detective career In Canada, and
m n locality where Justice made swift work Of
: evildoers had been three years In the busi-
ness, and had done some very fair work, when
a very sensational case was put into my hands.
Three miles from the city OF B. lived re-
tirod merchant named Grafton. He had a
fine mansion. elegant grounds. and plenty OF
money, but his wife was an insane patient in
his own house, and his only child. o boy Of 10.
was half idiot Grafton was silent partner IN
several concerns In the city, but spent four
flfths Of his time at home. His wtfe was never
seon, while the young man lived more like q
wild animal than human being, the greater
part OF his timo being spent in the woods and
Heids, no matter what the weather. Grafton
had as ooachman, gardener, and hired man o
German about 35 years Of age, who had been
in the country about five years when first saw
him at the house. There were three female
servants, and one OF them was o girl
a8 years Of age named Jennie Price,
whose mother was very respectable
widow In the city. This girl was
allowed to 60 home every other Saturday. and
always rode in with Fritz the coachman az he
vent to market. ran home for an hour or two,
and then returned by the same vehicle. 1t.was
Siso taken shine to her, but his attentions
Eere laughed to scorn by the pretty Jennie and
Now. then, In the afternoon Of q certain 14th
81 July several weghtX incidents c, occur; occurred.
End was very much excited. He was seen run.
ming TO tho barn with the letter a his hand,
snd excited. The Servants said to zach other
that be must have received bad news. but mon none
wss e EaSisposea III Hill ssaaSns @ disspPearsa.
Xss os0 9as ass
tS a % M 1n he
day day night Il was discovered that Fritz had lett
the house and LEGALITY, not even asking for his
srrssc saeursons s % having @ been IL seem @ by W the
cook to pack up some provisions.
y % on ussay s E as sE S ss Msn sSWn
Souse. Bic had not been home, and an inyes.
friends had seen her for two weeks. Il was Q
case Of mysterious disappearance" and /
In nt Ee hfsns s s apSSs tas TS Ha%
ever. when I had learned that, the girl. was
steady as well as handsome. and that everybody
2 t the qFhon Ths was Ssa
soe sna asE fssmis Ssd Seen sst' plain s 'hhs
above, Grafton was very anxious in the mat;
M Il.
couple Of minutes. and made note Of several
things. A. button had been torn of his coat
with such force as to tear the cloth. He had
te ssht hand nser 81 s
was tied up In rag. and the cook, who tied It
Up Si for him, told me that something had bitten
It.was a quarter OF mile, from the house to
the highway, with a carriage road running
Ing to town on foot. BY making a cut through
tance. The girl Jennie had been seen to take
this, path on that Saturday. and my search lay
in that direction. The woods covered about
path pat "ss' was vel we'll defined ' and was romantie
walk for summers day, the forest being alive
cd dell about half an acre in extent. It was
SEhs this that got first clue
It had been badly broken. While It was closed.
Soods " e four ribs @ Were brofen and the handie de
loosensd. and Ifelt certain that she had used
handbag; Across the dell. in the thick woods
sgan found ana Sow from ser serh throat Tsa
been torn up and the bushes broken down
80 prove struggle. 1t, was one, which must
ground than know that Jennie's dead body
would be found somewhere In the woods. AS
fich sofl. and other plain evidences Of her being
s%aS le pab
feet square. With 3 thicket on three sides. /
my eyes made tho discovery.
PStas5 ba s !hSes ses
back hef feet fraTn up her Ssothns badly
LETT on Viii araften's coat. She had i tpsa BEEN
eyes Wide open, her tongue out. and q look OF
agony on her bleated face. . ! examined the
Sox Which Rs attsrward var identisd and Sas SodiS
had discovered the murderer; but was not
Ebsl ss.sS Ss ss3 5SsS .SSs ssS
tho; Riches control public opinion and, in some
After an examination lasting q quarter Of an
hour, and having carefully gathered and pre-
the Coroner and jury: had eeyyiidfe3ce eyifl enough
once, but felt that 1t would be safer to 60
slow and wait for the opinion Of the jury, It
and AZ his Jury arrived, nnd al had not yet viewed
others arrived IN an excited state Of mind and
announced that Fritz. the coachman. had been
Deed; This news yas, as you may imagipe. q
heard that the coachman was SUSPECTED, al-
the dnseT Of SUSPICION that way dur:
held IL the theory thst the girl had run
less respectable career. His statement that
Fnts was probably guilty so upset me that l
6o hint Tho inaIest was adjourned until
while Fritz was present In charge Of On ofacsr.
He had been arrested at town thirty miles
bin tX bis attempt to commit suicide by drown